While fisherman generally are an active group, the prolonged intervals of time between bites produces a degree of tedium which frequently annoy the fisherman who seeks relief from such tedium by devices which permit the fisherman to occupy himself otherwise while waiting for a fish to strike. Naturally such fisherman are reluctant to miss the opportunity to catch a fish who may bite on the line during the times when the fisherman is otherwise occupied, so various devices have been proposed which automatically signal a strike on the fishing line while the fisherman is otherwise occupied. In general, such prior art devices comprise a suitable supporting arrangement for the fishing pole and which actuate a suitable alarm by a tilting movement of the pole when the fish bites thereby quickly calling to the attention of the fisherman that a strike has been made. While such prior art devices function generally in a satisfactory manner they are characterized by certain limitations which do not fully satisfy the typical fisherman. In general, such prior art devices are somewhat complex and expensive in construction and lack somewhat the desire degree of sensitivity to the forces exerted by a hooked fish that may vary in size over a wide range. Furthermore with the wide variety of fishing equipment in use today, such present day devices do not readily accommodate some types of fishing equipment which the fisherman may wish to use.